For some reason that perhaps psychologists who specialize in the phenomenon of "enabling" could explain, 75 countries have pledged $5.5 billion to rebuild Gaza. The Obama administration, still flush with the excitement of having pledged to spend a couple of trillion dollars we don't have, is chipping in $900 million of the total. This would be a benevolent gesture if it weren't so foolish. There's no way to insure that the money will reach the Palestinian people and every reason to think that the bulk of it will go to finance Hamas' ongoing war against Israel.
Never mind, though. The current administration seems to care less what they spend money upon than that the money gets spent. Pouring almost a billion dollars into Gaza will allow us to feel like we're actually helping the suffering people of that wretched place and also make us feel good about ourselves. We'll be able to bask in the good feeling, at least for a time, that accompanies the conviction that we're "striving for peace." Throwing money at the Gazans is a way of purchasing moral self-righteousness. So what if no one knows whether the money will go for schools and hospitals or for rockets and suicide bombs - at least our intentions are good.
For more on how our benevolence is essentially contributing to the murder of Israeli civilians see here.
RLC
